I was not expecting a long red carpet laid out in front of the H&M Philippines when I arrived in SM Mega Fashion Hall for the VIP Pre-Opening Event last night. It felt like walking in the clouds as I took the first step to the red carpet down to the registration area.

It is the much anticipated store opening of the year. We have heard the buzz last year, and when the familiar H&M logo appeared in the Mega Fashion Hall everyone got to excited. Truly, it deserved a red-carpet pre-opening event – especially if you have shakers and movers in the Metro in the guestlist.

My friends and I love H&M and it is always part of the itinerary (usually to dedicate 1 day for shopping) whenever we are traveling in another country. We could spend hours in the store and get lost in the building. We wouldn’t care about falling in line in the cashier (and convert the prices in the price tags – and you know H&M stuff are always give value for money). It was the same experience last night minus the conversion – it is awesome to shop in H&M with Philippine peso printed on the tags – and hey, the figures didn’t disappoint!

Click Read More to see more of the store and prices of H&M Philippines..

Bulb lights, glasses and fashion displays. I love what I saw in the first floor..

 Here are some tips to survive the mad opening of H&M Philippines:

• Wear comfortable shoes. You would do a lot of standing and lining up, it would be nice to wear comfortable shoes.
• Wear comfortable clothes (leggings or simple dresses that you can easily take off would be the best bet!)
• Know your sizes. I basically know my size so I didn’t need to go to the fitting room (and I just got basic pieces). Lines at the fitting room might get crazy (they are located at the 2nd and 3rd levels).
• When you find something you like , just grab it and decide later. The store might get too crowded and it would be difficult to roam around and go back to the same section.
• Bring water – even if the store is air conditioned, the place could get too warm with too many shoppers moving around.
• Empty that bladder first before shopping – you would do a lot of lining up so better prepare that bladder or you might lose your spot.
• Bring your credit card and enough money. There are too many nice pieces inside the store that even if you are already in the cashier, you would find yourself adding more from the display. Bring cash in case the credit card machine breaks down.

I survived the pre-opening event. I spent 3 hours in the store! Good thing that Chelsea Kitchen has just opened in SM Mega Fashion Hall and we were able to grab late dinner after. I just wish that the price range would stay the same even after a month of operation in the Philippines. And even if we already have H&M here in the Philippines, I might still find myself inside H&M store wherever I am in the world (oh, and I have a new store love – Primark!) 🙂

Thank you H&M Philippines and Bridges PR for having me! Much love! 🙂